Most Surprising NY Giants Roster Decisions Made on Initial 53

The Giants have arrived on their initial 53-man roster for the 2025 regular season, and their first lineup didn't come without a handful of interesting choices.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen (left) and head coach Brian Daboll | John Jones-Imagn Images

Following a perfect 3-0 record in the NFL preseason, their best summer showing in recent years, the New York Giants convened on Tuesday to trim their 90-man roster to the league's mandatory 53-player limit in advance of their 2025 regular season slate.

As is typical with the other 31 teams, the Giants had to make some very tough choices regarding hard-working players at various critical positions.

It's never easy to tell a player they'll be released after weeks of competing their tails off at camp and in the preseason exhibitions to make what is sometimes their first roster at the NFL level.

However, that is part of the business of the sport and the nature of the Giants organization's standing ahead of the first game against Washington on September 7. 

They are still largely in the midst of a rebuild, but they must assemble the best possible roster that can help the franchise achieve a higher win total than they did in the fall.

That still doesn't mean that some of the decisions made by head coach Brian Daboll and the Giants' staff were not eye-opening, to say the least. Here are a few of the most surprising transactions we saw as the Giants created their initial 53-man roster.

WR Beaux Collins

Giants wide receiver Beaux Collins (8) speaks to NorthJersey.com, Sunday, July 27, 2025, in East Rutherford. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Giants entered training camp with uncertainty in the depth of their wide receiving corps, having only three bona fide options in Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Wan'Dale Robinson ready to flank the outside and the slot to make things happen through the air with Russell Wilson.

Nabers was the Giants' lone hot receiver last season, while the others left a lot more to be desired from their 2024 campaigns. The Giants also had questions surrounding Jalin Hyatt and his role in the offense after he rarely found touches in his first two years, despite being taken as a third-round draft prospect.

While Collins carries with him some good size and athleticism to win contested catches, it wasn't on display as much during the Giants' preseason contests as it was on the practice field. 

Collins, an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame, finished with the second-lowest receiving grade while only snagging one catch on three targets for 80 yards in the win over the Jets.

Perhaps that, combined with his reps in camp, was enough to convince the coaching staff that he has enough potential to keep him around on the back end of the receiver room.

Still, arguments could be made for other names that performed better on game day, such as Lil'Jordan Humphrey or Zach Pascal, who were also released.

TE Greg Dulcich

Greg Dulcich, tight end with the NY Giants | Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Among the Giants' many moves before the cut day deadline, the one to part ways with tight end Greg Dulcich could have been labeled the biggest surprise of the NFL's toughest day of the year.

It didn't take a football expert to see that the Giants' tight ends department was extremely thin at the end of the 2024 season, especially when Theo Johnson's debut was cut short due to injury. 

The franchise brought back some of its in-house options from last fall, while also adding Dulcich as a free agent and Thomas Fidone II in the draft to help bolster the talent in the receiving realm.

Throughout the preseason, Dulcich would become one of the Giants' brightest offensive weapons, especially for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who connected with him three times for touchdowns that led the entire roster in that category.

He caught nearly all of his targets for 53 yards and held the second-highest production in the position room.

Still, Fidone would also impress with his large number of snaps to convince the Giants to retain his services to back up Johnson as a pass-catching tight end.

Beyond them, it seems that the coaching staff prioritized someone who could contribute to the blocking efforts, and that was where Dulcich (48.4 run blocking grade) fell short, resulting in his potential roster spot being claimed by Chris Manhertz.

RB Dante Miller

Aug 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Dante Miller (25) carries the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Despite the selection of rookie bruiser Cam Skattebo, who would miss some time in training camp with a nagging hamstring ailment before returning for the preseason finale against the Patriots, it felt like Dante Miller was deserving of being named a fourth ball carrier on the Giants' 53-man roster.

Miller earned extensive reps while Skattebo was sidelined, but was still productive for the offense in his three games, including being a leading contributor to the passing game, utilizing his speed and shiftiness once he found open space and burst past the line of scrimmage.

The former undrafted free agent running back finished at the top of the leaderboard with an impressive seven catches for 80 yards and an 11.4 average grab in the preseason opener against Buffalo. 

He would follow it up with another four hauls for 43 against the Jets in the next week, and led the rushing efforts against New England with 11 carries for 41 yards.

Not only was Skattebo's return and flash of good health enough to sway the team away from tabbing Miller on the initial roster, but it could have also been related to his lack of vision and getting off in between the tackles that sealed his fate.

The Giants need running backs who can pound the trenches just as much as having speed and durability to stay upright and draw extra yardage.

They seem to have the best of both worlds with Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Skattebo teaming up, but we expect Miller to return to the team via the practice squad, where his talents could be useful down the road in case of future injuries.

WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette

New York Giants wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87) gestures while warming up during a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For several seasons, the Giants' special teams department, and more specifically their kick and punt return units, looked dead in the water. Even last year, they attempted to utilize running back Eric Gray as a return specialist, but to no avail, as they struggled to establish a solid offense.

Last season, Gunner Olszewski, who returned to the team late this summer after Bryce Ford-Wheaton suffered a torn ACL, was in their main plans until he suffered a late-summer groin injury that prevented him from returning to the gridiron. That was when Ihmir Smith-Marsette entered the fold and offered the Giants their first taste of a talented return man.

One of Smith-Marsette's unforgettable plays came in his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Week 17 against the Indianapolis Colts, one of his two contests with 100 yards of returns in that category. In the preseason, he remained the team's leader with an average of 23.0 yards on two returns.

With the competitive nature of the Giants' receiving corps, there was a thought they might keep up to seven pass catchers, with a couple slated for special team duties. 

Smith-Marsette would have fit nicely into the puzzle in 2025. Still, his inability to mold into a more effective offensive threat, something Olszewski achieved with 10 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown, ultimately proved to be the difference maker.

There should remain some pause for Olszewski's health and whether he can stay available, or else the Giants might have let a special teams gem walk out the door that likely won't be available once league-wide waiver claims are submitted.

DL Elijah Chatman

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) congratulates defensive tackle Elijah Chatman (94) on his sack against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Just one preseason ago, defensive tackle Elijah Chatman was the latest undrafted free agent player to become a fan favorite. He endeared himself to the fan base with his selfless efforts for the team, including his infamous 40-yard chase down against the Texans that prevented a touchdown by the opposition in that contest.

Now, he had a chance to make the 53-man roster in his second season, but would ultimately fall short due to the insane amount of competition on the Giants' defensive front. 

He was heavily outweighed by D.J. Davidson, especially against the run, where New York needs to improve on their response this season after finishing in the basement of the league in 2024.

The sad part about Chatman's release was that he was building up a new and creative role within the roster, serving as a fullback on select snaps where the Giants wanted to add a little more power to their own rushing attack.

Rookie Cam Skattebo was one to heap praise on his teammate for his efforts in opening up lanes for him to smash the opposing defense on the ground.

Cam Skattebo talks about having Elijah Chatman blocking in front of him last night and shares what he told Chatman before the game:

"I told him, 'let's go. Let's take somebody's head off'" 😂 pic.twitter.com/LUFXz7ivEN

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) August 22, 2025

"I told him, 'Let's go. Let's go takes somebody's head off," Skattebo recalled of his reps standing behind Chatman in the preseason finale against the Patriots.

On the other hand, Chatman wasn't as proficient at tackling opposing ball carriers in his preseason action, finishing with a 62.2 run defense grade that ranked 21st among the Giants' defense, and making just three tackles and two stops. D.J. Davidson, who had some injury woes in camp but was more efficient on the defensive front, got the final nod to back up Dexter Lawrence II at the nose spot.

Still, it would have been intriguing to see how much better Chatman could have become in his developing fullback role, especially with a bruiser back like Skattebo running behind him, who could also pack a punch in the gaps. 

It would be nice to see Chatman make it through waivers and land on the practice squad for a reserve option throughout the season if injuries pile up again.

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